Shipping-crate.



F. H. McLAlN. SHIPPING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, 1913.

1 135 599 Patented A r.13, 1915.

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F. H. MCLAIN- SHIPPING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, 1913.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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FINIS H. IVIOLAIN, 013 UNIVERSITY PLACE, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A. SELLECK, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

SHIPPING-CRATE asses.

Application filed August 29, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FINIS H. MCLAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at University Place,in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

lhis invention relates to shipping crates, and more particularly to that class known as collapsible crates.

One of the principal objects of my invention is the provision of a collapsible crate, incorporating novel and superior features of construction of the top, sides and bottom thereof, and novel means of hinging and reinforcing the various parts, so that a very strong, durable, and light collapsible shipping crate is provided.

The advantages of using collapsing shipping crates, whereby a minimum of storage space is required when the crates are not in use, and a minimum of freight space in return transportation, are well known, and to these may be added the advantages of light material, simple and strong construction and general improvement incorporated in a crate constructed in accordance with my invention.

With these, then and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which,

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the top of the crate, Fig. 2 represents a side elevational view of the crate, Fig. 3 represents an end elevational view thereof, Fig. 4 represents a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 represents a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 8, Fig. 6 represents a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of a central top, binder and hasp, Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of one of the outside corner binders, Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of an Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Serial No. 787,330.

inside corner hinge, Fig. 10 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an inside hasp, Fig. 11 represents a sectional View on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, Fig. 12 represents a plan view of the blank from which the binders illustrated in Fig. 11 are formed, Fig. 13 represents a fragmental side elevational view of the center hinge illustrated in cross section in Fig. 6, Fig. 14

represents a perspective view of one of the corner binders and hasps, Fig. 15 represents an end view of the hinge used for the doors, and Fig. 16 represents the way in which the various hinges and binders are corrugated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the base of the crate comprises parallel side bars 5, rectangular in cross section, and connected at their ends by end bars, which are somewhat less in height than the height of the side bars, the adjoining edges of said side and end bars being connected by miter joints, and only the portion of the ends of the side bars being mitered which are equal to the height of the end bars, so that the extreme upper portion of the ends of said side bars overlie the extreme ends of the end bars, as will be readily understood. The floor 7 comprises a plurality of boards secured to the under edges of the base transversely thereof, and secured to the floor transversely of the base is a central bar (3 which is of the same dimensions as the end bars and which is secured at its ends to the inner faces of the side bars centrally thereof. A longitudinal center bar 8 is secured on the upper face of the bottom and extends longitudinally of the base and said longitudinal bar is provided on its upper face with a strap iron 9 and the floor is provided on its under face with a strap iron 10, said irons, floor and longitudinal bar being secured together by nails, or rivets. Around the outside edges of the base is secured a strip of angle iron 11, the vertical portion of which is secured to the outer face of the end and side bars, and is of the same height as the said end bars but of less height than the side bars, and the horizontal portion of which is of the same width as the thickness of the end bars and is secured to the under face of the floor. The strip of angle iron substantially braces the base, but the latter is further braced by means of corner braces 69, illustrated in perspective in Fig. 8, and said braces comprise front'portions adapted to be secured to the front faces of the side bars of the base and are provided with side portions 71 adapted to besecured to the outer faces of the end bars of the base, the portion 71 being of the same height as the height of the end bars and the portion 70 of the same height as the side bars, the portion 72 being provided which is secured to that portion of the side bars which is left unmitered.

The sides, ends and top of the crate are similarly constructed, except that the top is twice the width of the sides of the crate, and a description of the construction of one of the sides will be suflicient for all. The sides comprise two rectangular frames laid face to face and supporting between them the wire netting 12 which may be of any desired construction, andeach of the frames comprise side pieces 13 and end pieces 14 mitered at their adjoining ends and secured together at those ends byme ans of substantially L shaped binders 15, which have their outer edges, at 16, turned down to embrace adjacent edges of the members of the frame, and which have their inner edges, at 17, turned down and bent under the adjoining members of the frame so as to provide a good, strong joint. The manner in which the outside edges are turned down may be seen by referring to numeral 16 in Fig. 9 and the -manner in which the inside edges are turned down and bent under may be seen by reference to numeral 17 in that figure. The turned down edges are of the same width as the thickness of the frame to which the binder is attached, and when two frames which comprise a side are put together, the outer faces of the binders will be on the opposite faces of the side and the frames are secured together by means of double headed rivets extending through the binders and through the members of the frame at intervals. A center cross piece 18 is secured transversely of each side and said cross piece comprises two members face to face and secured by double headed rivets, said members at their ends being secured by T binders 19, illustrated in section in Fig. 11, and said T binders have their outer edges at 20 turned down in the manner similar to the L binders and have their inner edges turned down and bent under as at 21, said bent under portions embracing the members of the central cross piece and also embracing the members of the longitudinal bars of the side so that a secure joint is provided, and the T binders are secured together by means of rivets passing through the binders and through'the longitudinal bars of the side, .and also by rivets passing through the bind- .ers and through the cross bars of the side.

The sides of the crate may be constructed according to the foregoing description, if

they are not provided with doors, but if they are provided with doors, a cross piece 22 extends transversely of the side and in spaced relation to the cross piece 18, one on each side thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and said cross piece 22 is secured in the same manner as is the cross'piece 18, and the space between cross piece 22 and cross piece 18 is left open for the reception of doors which are constructed according to the construction of the door illustrated in Fig. 3, said door comprising a rectangular iron frame to which wire netting is secured and the door is hung by means of hinges illustrated in Fig. 15, the side portions 23 of said hinges adapted to embrace the top bar of the side, said hinge being provided with a U-shapcd portion 24, in which the top bar of the door is pivoted, and said door is provided on its under edge with a slotted hasp 25 adapted to be engaged by turn button for keeping the door in closed position. The door illustrated in Fig. 3 is shown as attached to one of the ends of the crate and a door similarly constructed is intended to be hung in the space left between the cross piece 22 and the cross bar 18 of the side. Doors may be provided on both sides and both ends, or on one side and one end, or one side or end only, it being understood that the arrangement of the doors is optional. Two doors are provided in the side, one on each side of the center bar 18 for the reason that a central partition 26, illustrated in Fig. 4, and constructed in the same manner as the sides, is hinged to the central transverse bar 6 of the base and thus divides the crate into two compartments, so that a door is provided for each compartment.

The sides of the crate are hinged at their lower edges and intermediate their ends to the side bars 5 of the base, and the ends of the crate are hinged at two points intermediate their length to the end bars of the base and the partition is hinged to the cross bar 6 of the base, as previously stated, and said ends and partition are of a height somewhat less than half the length of the base and the hinging point of the partition is below the upper edge of the cross bar 6 so that said partition may be folded down on the longitudinal bar 8, one end folded downwardly to rest on the partition, the opposite end folded downwardly on the longitudinal bar 8, and the sides folded inwardly over the end pieces, it being understood that the height of the sides is somewhat less than half the width of the base.

In hinging the sides of the crate peculiar hinges have been provided, one of them being shown in perspective in Fig. 9 and which may be called an inside corner hinge. One of the inside corner hinges is provided at each lower corner of the sides of the crate and said hinges comprise an upper leaf 27 and a lower leaf 29, the upper leaf being provided with a vertical outwardly turned edge 16 adapted to engage the outer edge of the end member of a side piece at its lower end and is also provided with a horizontal out-turned edge 28, which extends only partially across the leaf 27 and which is adapted to engage the lower edge of the side near the corner. The leaf is also provided with right angularly disposed outwardly bent and over-turned edges or prongs 17 adapted to engage the inside edges of the corner of the frame. The lower corner of each side of the frame is provided with a hinge, the leaf 27 of which is constructed according to the foregoing description, and this leaf 27 takes the place of the inside I. binder at the corner to which it is secured, it being understood that the upper corners of the sides and the four corners of the ends of the crate are provided with the two l. binders as previously described. The lower leaf 29 of the hinge is adapted to be secured to the inside face of the side bar 5 of the frame at the end of said bar and said leaf is provided with an offset portion 30 adapted to be secured to the inside face of the end bar of the base, so that leaf 29 and its offset 30 are at right angles to each other and are secured in one of the inside corners of the base. The pivot point of the inside corner hinges occurs below the upper edges of the side bars 5 and approximately on a plane with the upper edges of the end and transverse bars of the base, and when in extended position, leaf 27 and leaf 29 are in the same plane, and are in the plane of the inner vertical face of the side bars 5 so that the inner faces of the sides of the crate are in the same plane with the inner faces of the side bars.

In order to help support the sides in upright position, I have provided them at their lower outside corners with hasps 31, each of which has an upper leaf 32 secured to the end bars 14 of the sides of the frame, and a lower leaf 33 which is hinged to the upper leaf and which has its lower end offset, as at 3i, said offset portion 34: connected with the portion 33 by means of a horizontal shoulder 35, said shoulder adapted to rest on the outer edge of the top face of the side bar 5 of the frame and the offset portion 3 1 is adapted to rest against the outer face of the side bar, and said hasp is provided with a slot 36 adapted to engage over a turn button 37 the button adapted to be twisted around after the slot has been engaged thereover, said button being spaced from the side by metal plate 38, said plate being of the same dimensions as the slot 36, which fits thereover.

The sides are hinged intermediate their ends to the side bars of the base and by means of hinges 39, illustrated in section in Fig. 6, and said hinges comprise an outer portion 40 and an inner portion 41, each of said portions being provided with an upper inturned flange 42 for engaging the upper edge of the side of the plate and the lower end of the portion 40 is offset inwardly, as at 1-3, and the offset portion lies against the lower portion of the inner portion ll of the hinge and the lower edges of portions 41 and 43 are rolled inwardly, as shown at 44: in Fig. 13, and are rolled around a bar 15, it being understood that portions 10, 41 and 4L3 are formed of one piece of metal. The lower leaf 46 of hinge 39 is provided at its upper edge with a pair of spaced tongues -17 which extend through spaced openings 48 (see Fig. 4) in the upper leaf of the hinge and said tongues engage over the roll and extend outwardly and are secured by means of rivets 4-9 to the inner face of the lower leaf. An offset portion 50 of the lower leaf 4:6 is secured to bottom 7 of the crate, while the vertical portion of leaf 16 is secured to the inner face of the side bars of the base. The pivot points of hinges 39 are in alinement with the pivot points of the inside corner hinges.

The hinges connecting the ends of the crate with the end bars of the base and the partition 26 with the cross bar 6 of the base are identical in construction with the hinge just described, except that the portion 46 of the hinges connecting the ends and partition of the crate with the base, is somewhat shorter than the same portion of the hinges so that the pivot points of the ends and partition fall below the upper edges of the end bars and cross bar 6 of the base, whereby said partition may be folded down and the ends folded down and the sides folded down over the ends.

The four corners of the top of the crate are provided with the L-shaped binders 15 and arranged upon these binders 15 and se curely riveted therewith to the top of the crate at the respective corners are the hasps 51, illustrated in perspective in Fig. 14, these hasps 51, however, being omitted from Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness, and said hasps comprise a top portion 52 adapted to rest against the top of the corners, said portions 52 being provided with down turned prongs 53 adapted to be bent under the bars of the top, and the hasp is further provided with a downwardly projecting substantially triangular end portion 5a and a front portion. which is at right angles to the portions 52 and 54:, said portion 55 being provided with an opening 56 adapted to engage over a turn-button 57 secured to the upper corners of the sides, as shown at Fig. 2, whereby the top may be removably secured to the sides, it being understood that the triangular portion 54 of the binder engages the upper corner of the end of the crate, while the portion 55 engages the upper corner of the, side of the crate,'thereby bracing the sides and ends. The side bars of the top are each provided centrally thereof with a central top binder and hasp, illustrated in perspective in Fig. '7, and the said hasp comprises a top portion 58 adapted to rest against the upper face of the top of In order to brace the ends and partition in vertical position, the same are provided with inside hasps, illustrated in section in ;Fig[ 10, and said hasps comprise a leaf 64:

composed of a strip of metal doubled upon itself. and a leaf 65 which is provided with an opening 66 adapted to engage over a turn button 67, the turn buttons 67 being secured to the upper bars 13 of the sides, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and the leaf 6% being securedto the upper rails of the ends 68 and to the-partition 26, it being understood that an inside hasp is provided at each upper inside corner of the sides and at the central portion of the sides, the turn button 67 being secured to the sides 13, so that each end and the partition is supported by two of the inside hasps.

If so desired the various binders, hinges and hasps vmay be corrugated near their edges in a manner illustrated in Fig. 16, but these corrugations have not been illustrated "in the other figures for the purpose of the parts folded inwardly, as before declearness.

YVhen the crate is to be collapsed for returntransportation, or for otherpurposes, the top is removed, the inner hasps are undone and the outer hasps 31 are undone and scribed, whereupon the top may be placed on the folded parts and the whole secured together by engaging the turn button 37 with the corner binders and hasps 51.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided a shipping crate which is very strong, which may be made of light material, the parts of which are thoroughly braced and which can be readily collapsed for return transportation or storage. I

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may desire to make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as do not depart from the spirit of the invention as described and claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

whatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is,

1. In a folding crate, comprising a base frame having side sills and end sills, a longitudinal reinforcing bar arranged centrally between said side sills, a transverse sill arranged centrally between said end sills, a bottom secured to the under side of said frame, an angle-iron embracing the lower edges of said frame and said bottom, corner clips embracing the meeting ends of said angle irons, said end sills and said transverse sill being in the same plane but below that of said side sills, said reinforcing bar being lower than said end and said transverse sills, a partition hingedly connected to said transverse sill and adapted to lie upon said reinforcing bar and below the plane of said transverse sill when in folded position, end frames hinged 1y connected to said end sills and adapted to lie below the plane of said end sills when in folded position, side frames hingedly connected to said side sills and adapted to lie over said end frames below the plane of said side sills when in folded position, turn buttons arranged at each of the ends of said side sills, and a top having corner hasps arranged thereon for engaging said turn buttons upon said side sills for securing said top to said base frame for retaining said crate in folded position.

2. In a folding crate, comprising a base frame having side sills, and end sills, a

longitudinal reinforcing bar arranged centrally between said side sills, a transverse sill arranged centrally between said end sills, a bottom secured to the under side of said frame, an angle-iron embracing the lower edges of said frame and said bottom, corner clips embracing the meeting ends of said angle irons, said end sills and said transverse sill being in the same plane but below that of said side sills, said reinforcing bar being lower than said end and said transverse sills, a partition hingedly connected to said transverse sill and adapted to lie upon said reinforcing bar and below the plane of said transverse sill when in folded position, end frames hingedly connected to said end sills and adapted to lie below the plane of said end sills when in folded position, side frames hingedly connected to said side sills and adapted to lie over said end frames below the plane of said side sills when in folded position, turn buttons arranged at each of the ends of said side sills, hinged hasps secured to the outer side of the end rails of said side frames for engaging the turn buttons of said side sills for retaining said side frames in vertical position when setting up said crate, turn buttons arranged upon the outer sides of the upper rails of said side frames and in vertical alinement with the turn buttons of said side sills, turn buttons arranged upon the inner side of said upper rails adjacent the ends and also intermediate of the ends thereof, hinged hasps secured to the inner sides of the upper rails of said end frames and also upon said partition for engaging the turn buttons of said upper rails of said side frames for retaining said end frames and said partition in vertical set up position, and a top having corner hasps arranged thereon for engaging the turn buttons of said side sills when said crate is in folded position and for engaging the turn buttons upon the outer sides of the upper rails of said side frames when the crate is in set up position.

3. In a folding crate, comprising a base frame having side sills and end sills, a longitudinal reinforcing bar arranged centrally between said side sills, a transverse sill arranged centrally between said end sills, a bottom secured to the under side of said frame, an angle-iron embracing the lower edges of said frame and said bottom, corner clips embracing the meeting ends of said angle irons, a partition hingedly connected to said transverse sill, end frames hingedly connected to said end sills, side frames hingedly connected to said side sills, turn buttons arranged at each of the ends of said side sills, hinged hasps secured to the outer side of the end rails of said side frames for engaging the turn buttons of said side sills for retaining said side frames in Vertical position when setting up said crate, turn buttons arranged upon the outer sides of the upper rails of said side frames and in vertical alinement with the turn buttons of said side sills, turn buttons arranged upon the inner side of said upper rails adjacent the ends and also intermediate of the ends thereof, hinged hasps secured to the inner sides of the upper rails of said end frames and also upon said partition for engaging the turn buttons of said upper rails of said side frames for retaining said end frames and said partition in vertical set up position, a top having corner hasps arranged thereon, for engaging the turn buttons upon the outer sides of the upper rails of said side frames when the crate is in set up position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- FINIS H. MoLAIN.

Witnesses:

W. A. SELLECK, W. C. SUNDERLAND.

tlopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

